Operation: Team Bonding-Part Two
by MBrabs1996
Summary: After their very interesting camping trip, the whole group goes to Discovery Cove for some more "Team Bonding." But Maria can't have fun knowing that she's keeping something from Steve, and Steve wants to ask Maria something. Some mild drama. Mainly Steve/Maria, but some implied, but obvious pairings: Clint/Natasha, Bruce/Betty, Tony/Pepper, and Thor/Jane
1. Discovery Cove

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the sequel to my other story; "Operation: Team Bonding" this is part two and they go to discovery cove! Might have a couple of plot twists in it as we go along. It will be no longer than five chapters. Just thought i'd tell y'all :) I don't own Marvel or the characters. Only ones I do own are: Lili, Emily, Danny, John, and Jason/Jace.**

The group sat in the van at 6:15 AM leaving their camp site for the forty-five minute drive to Discovery Cove, a place where they'd be able to swim with dolphins, sting rays, and do much more and everyone was pretty excited.

Stark was driving.

"So, Maria, ready to go swimming with Dolphins?" Emily asked excitedly, bouncing up and down in her seat while Maria glared at her.

"What's wrong with her today?" Jane asked, noticing that Maria had been increasingly withdrawn since the morning before, and that she was sitting in the back seat all by herself, refusing to let anyone sit with her, "You aren't mad because Thor and I threw you into the water yesterday, right? You weren't when it first happened! But hey, at least you know how to swim now." She said, smiling at Maria, who sighed.

"No, i'm pretty sure it's that time of the month." Danny said, earning a strange look from John and the rest of the group.

"How do you know that?" John asked, raising an eye brow at his eldest child.

"Well, I did practically raise Maria and Emily." Danny said, shrugging.

"Yeah, dad. He did." Emily said, giving her father a dirty look. Obviously the memories of what happened were still fresh in her mind.

"Who wants to play the alphabet game?" Tony asked, looking at everyone in the rearview mirror.

"No!" Natasha and Clint shouted.

"This is going to be an interesting trip." Betty said, shaking her head as Pepper cleared her throat.

"So, we're staying at the Floridays Orlando Resort, right Tony?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't let me reserve anything too fancy so it was the first one that actually appealed to me, all without being too fancy." He said, earning a sigh from his wife.

"That was a good idea on lady Pepper's part." Thor said.

"I feel like fancy would've drawn too much attention to us." Steve said, sighing.

"Am I the only one that's actually grateful that Fury gave us all the whole month of August off so we could have this vacation?" Clint asked, changing the subject and earning nods of agreement from everyone except Maria.

"Although that is true, as soon as we get back he's either going to send all of you on a mission or give us all paperwork. He's done it before." Maria said, glaring at her lap.

"Is that why you're upset, Maria?" Steve asked, sighing as he turned around in his seat to face her, noticing how sad and distressed she seemed to be.

Maria shrugged, "I guess I just don't want to be here...and Danny, it's not that time of the month."

"At least she's being honest." Stark said as they pulled up to the resort, not noticing the alarmed look that Natasha gave Clint. Almost as if she knew what was wrong with her friend.

* * *

Once checked in, Tony gave everyone their room keys to their respective villa. Each villa had three bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a kitchenette, almost like a small apartment, but nicer. This meant that, including the kids, there would be six or seven people in two of them, and two people in the third. In the first villa, number 359, was Maria, Steve, Natasha, Clint, and of course, Emily and Lili. In number 360, were Tony, Pepper with Jace, Bruce, Betty, and Thor and Jane.

Danny and John had their own villa.

"Why do Danny and John have their own villa?" Bruce asked, raising an eye brow.

"Because everyone here is in a committed relationship and shares a room with their significant other, it'd look a little strange if two men shared a bedroom in a villa with all couples. Dontcha think?" Tony asked, an exasperated expression on his features.

"Two men can share a bedroom or live together without being homosexual, Stark. The same with two women." Steve said, sighing since he was already tired of Starks comments.

"What? There's nothing wrong with it! I'm just pointing that out!"

"Yeah, i'm married..." Danny said, trailing off as he held up the hand with his gold wedding band.

"As I was twice before." John added.

"Could still happen."

Everyone rolled their eyes and went down to their respective villas, hoping to spend a good portion of the day relaxing before heading out to do any activities.

These three days were sure going to be interesting.

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**

**Give predictions, comments, anything...just be nice!**


	2. Old Comrades

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Enjoy!**

That first day was spent walking around the park, and Maria, in Stark's words, was being a bitch.

"I'm not a bitch. I just don't want to be here." Maria said, shrugging and averting her gaze.

"Come on. How about we go swim with the sting rays?" Emily asked, grabbing her older sister's hand and pulling her along to a trainer with long blonde hair who was about Natasha's height with a fair complexion.

"Great. We get to go get stung." Natasha said, her and Clint taking up the rear as they joined the trainer.

"You folks want to swim with the Rays, correct?" The young trainer asked, her brown eyes looking around at each of them.

"Pepper, if you want to swim with the Sting Rays, I can stay with Jace." Maria offered, her voice soft and barely audible.

"Are you sure?" Pepper asked, looking concerned at how sad Maria seemed.

"Yeah. I don't want to swim today. Maybe i'll take Jace and go relax or feed the birds." She said, crossing her arms as Pepper passed the stroller over to the other woman.

"Sure you're okay, Maria?" Steve asked, putting an arm around her waist, which she moved away from.

"I'm fine. I just want some time alone." Maria said, giving a weak smile before she took the strollers handle and walked away.

"Very strange." Thor said.

Never had anyone seen Maria so...detached. She wasn't even threatening Stark like she always had whenever he made a smartass comment.

"Yeah..you didn't knock her up, did you?" Tony ask, turning to Steve who rolled his eyes, silently wishing that no one knew the two had taken that step in the relationship.

"No, Stark." He said, beginning to follow Maria, only for Betty to stop him.

" She said she wants to be alone. I have a feeling she means it." She said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Steve sighed and nodded, knowing that Betty was probably right.

* * *

Before they went into the water, Natasha pulled Clint to the side.

"Clint, I think there's something Maria is keeping from everyone, including Steve. You know how they've taken that step in their relationship." She said, whispering urgently before looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

Clint nodded, "You wonder why Stark had the floors sound proofed?" He asked, half joking since he didn't like where this conversation was going.

Natasha sighed, "And do you remember after her...accident...last month that the doctors had to sedate her?"

"What's your point?"

Natasha sighed again and ran a hand through her red hair, getting annoyed that Clint hadn't started to pick up on what she was trying to say.

"Clint, she's acting the same way I did after my miscarriage."

* * *

Meanwhile, after about an hour of looking at other attractions and feeding the birds, Maria lay down in a hammock holding Jace as he slept, quite happy to finally get some alone time.

"Lieutenant Maria Hill? I thought i'd never see you again." A familiar voice behind her said, causing for her to turn her head and give a weak smile at a man, no older than Maria herself, who had a muscular build and a hair cut that only someone in the Military would probably have.

"Jake? It definitely has been awhile. I see you're still in the Marines." Maria said, noticing the familiar uniform, a midnight blue coat with the red trim and the standard sky blue pants, "A little hot for that, isn't it?" She asked, raising an eye brow as she put Jace back in the stroller and sat up to get a better look.

Jake smiled at her, "I'm in town for a wedding. Remember Reynolds? It's also mandatory, or have you forgotten?" He asked, half joking.

Maria sighed, she had forgotten that it was mandatory for marines to wear their uniforms, especially for formal events.

"Yeah, I think I just forgot. Tell Colonel Reynolds I give him my best."

He smiled at her again, "Anyway, how have you been? It's been what? A little over five years since you left? What do you do now?"

"I work for the government. With...people of importance." She said, it was partly the truth, "And yes, it's been about five years."

"I see you have a baby now, too."

Maria turned to look at Jace, who was still asleep in his stroller, "He's my nephew. I offered to watch him while his parents are swimming with Sting Rays. His name is Jason, but we call him Jace." She said, as another, petite woman with long red hair and a fair complexion joined them.

She was about to say something when she was interrupted.

"Maria!" Emily called, running up to her with the others joining them shortly after.

Jake and the woman, assumed to be his wife or girlfriend, looked as though they were going to faint when they saw the group of people that accompanied her, and Jake took off his white hat as his way of showing respect.

_That reaction never gets old..._ She thought, sighing.

"Anyway, Jake, obviously you know who they are. But if you don't, they are, from left to right: Bruce, Betty, Natasha, Clint, and their daughter Lili, Tony, Pepper, my father, John, and my brother, Danny, Thor, Jane, my sister, Emily, and my boyfriend, Steve." She introduced them, almost as if she was talking to a small child.

"When you said you worked with people of importance, I thought...never mind. Nice to meet you all. I'm Jake and this is my wife, Amara."

"Jake and I were actually in the Marines together. He was the first friend I had actually made." Maria explained, trying to calm Steve down, who looked Jealous when he had first approached, but had quickly relaxed to some extent when Jake had introduced Maia.

"Yeah. Our friendship was entirely platonic. Just great friends." He said, noticing the look Steve was giving him, shocked at how easily Maria reached out and shook Maia's hand, making Amara uncomfortable.

* * *

The group talked for several more minutes before Jake looked at his watch, "Amara and I should get going. The reception will start soon. We should get together for some drinks sometime before you leave."

"Yeah, like a double date." Amara said, speaking for the first time since joining her husband.

Maria nodded, "Well, my numbers the same as it's always been." She called as she walked away with the others, earning a nod from Jake and his wife before they disappeared from sight and the whole group proceeded to relax and look around before returning to their villa's at around one that after noon having been at the park since eight.

* * *

Maria walked out of the shower and back into her and Steve's room later that afternoon to find that her boyfriend was no where to be seen.

Only a note was left on the bedside table.

_**Maria, meet me in the main resort in fifteen minutes.**_

_**Love, Steve**_

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**


	3. Date Night

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated. School has been very hectic lately! It's either this chapter or the next chapter that the some what depressing so-called plot twist comes in. Enjoy. Also, shortly before I finished Operation: Team Bonding...the first one...I posted another one-shot called "Broken Beyond Repair" and it explores more of Maria's past and a little bit of her relationship with Steve for those that are interested.**

Maria sighed and put the note down on the bedside table and began getting ready, wondering what surprise Steve had for her.

"How long ago?" A voice asked from the doorway.

Natasha.

"What're you talking about?" Maria asked, heading back into the bathroom to comb through her damp dark brown hair and apply her make up.

Natasha sighed, "Maria, i'm not stupid. You're acting like I did when I had my miscarriage."

Maria sighed again, knowing that it was no use lying to her as she put her hair brush down on the bathroom counter and turned to face the red head.

"It was a month or so ago. When I ran into my dad's friends. I was eight weeks along." She answered, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Does Steve know?" Natasha asked, groaning when Maria shook her head, "This isn't something you can keep from him, Maria. When he finds out he's going to be _really _upset."

Maria glared, "You think I don't know that? I'll tell him soon. I just need a little more time."

"That's worse. The longer you wait, the more upset he will be."

"Fine. I'll tell him tonight." She said, not wanting to argue with the assassin as she finished applying her make up.

"Sure tonight will be a good idea?" She asked, crossing her arms as Maria put her make up down and left, not giving the older woman an answer.

* * *

Maria met Steve in the main part of the resort just as Steve had told her to do so, giving him a kiss on the cheek as they walked to the hotels restaurant for an early dinner.

"Sure you're alright, Maria?" He asked, raising an eye brow at her as the waiter poured them some wine.

Maria sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

_If he asks me if i'm okay one more time..._She thought, giving a fake smile and saying, "Yes, Steve. I already told you a hundred times. I'm fine."

A lie.

She was the exact opposite of 'fine'. She was about to fall apart.

She took a sip of her wine as the waiter had come to take their orders. The woman had been telling that lie for so long now that she herself had even started to believe it.

"Are you absolutely positive?"

Maria pursed her lips and looked at him, "Steve, I can assure you that if something was wrong, i'd tell you." She said, exasperated and clearly annoyed.

Steve nodded and the two left it at that. Neither of them really said much, only exchanging a few words here and there before deciding to go for a walk afterwards.

"So, is there a reason why you wanted to be alone tonight?" Maria asked as they came to the pool area. The moon reflecting against the surface of the water and giving them light so they could see where they were going.

"Well, our anniversary is tomorrow. Or have you forgotten?" He asked, only half joking.

Maria rolled her eyes, "Of course I haven't forgotten!" She exclaimed, playfully hitting his arm.

"Then take a seat." He said, gesturing to one of the stools at the bar that was just feet from them.

She took a seat, "Steve, I need to tell you something."

Steve nodded, "Go ahead."

Maria stared at him for what seemed like hours, but it was really only a few minutes, "You know what? It can wait until tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

She smiled at him, "Positive."

Steve sighed and took Maria's left hand in his own, pulling out a black velvet box.

"Maria Hill, I love you with all my heart and have since the first moment I laid eyes on you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He asked, opening the box to reveal a diamond ring in the center of a silver band with one smaller diamond on each side of it.

Maria was shocked.

She sure hadn't been expecting this. Not for another year, at least.

"I-I Steve, y-you won't love me anymore once you realize what i've done." She said, abruptly getting up and running back to their villa, thankful that there wasn't another soul in sight to see anything as tears started falling down her face while she continued to run. Steve following closely behind.

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**

**No flames.**


	4. The Truth

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Hope y'all like it!**

Maria ran back into the villa to her and Steve's room, tears falling down her face as she slammed the door, thankful that Emily and the others were out having their own dinner.

She began to hyperventilate as a knock sounded on the door.

"Maria, open the door." Steve said softly, concern evident in his tone.

Maria sighed as Steve continued jiggling the door handle.

_He deserves to know. _She thought, sighing as she got up and opened the door, briskly walking past her boyfriend and through the living room to open the sliding glass door, closing it behind them as they stepped out onto the balcony so they'd have privacy if anyone came back early.

"You're not going to want me anymore. I've kept something from you. Something I shouldn't have." She said, sitting down at the small table in the corner and putting her head in her hands.

"What did you keep from me?" He asked, sitting down across from her.

Maria sighed, the tears falling once more, "Remember those two days in July when I was in the hospital after the...accident?" Steve nodded, urging her to continue, "Remember the doctor telling you that he had to sedate me because I had a break down? Of course you do. Everyone remembers. After I had to get my stomach pumped, I had to go to the bathroom, and I had cramping and I noticed I was bleeding..." She said, trailing off as Steve remained silent.

He knew where this was going. There was no doubt about it.

"Go on." He said, his jaw clenched.

"I...the doctor...I had a miscarriage, Steve." She said, her voice cracking as she looked up at him, flinching as Steve slammed his hand down on the table.

"Why are you telling me a month after the fact?" He asked, looking down, not meeting Maria's gaze.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I thought you'd leave me and I was scared."

Steve finally looked up at her, "Do you know the cause?" He asked, voice cracking.

Yep. Even Steve was about to cry, and he had never even come close before this.

_He probably hates me now, too._ She thought, hearing the sliding glass door open as Emily and Lili came out to ask them something.

Emily's mouth opened in an 'oh' expression, realizing this wasn't a good time, and ushered Lili back inside, closing the door once more.

"Doctor said that it was the paracetomal that they made me take, or the over exertion while trying to fight them off. I know it was my fault though." She said, getting up and heading inside.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natasha and Clint were getting ready for bed when Emily walked in the room holding Lili's hand.

"Sorry guys. Lilith wanted you." Emily said, shrugging.

"Auntie 'Ria and Uncle Steve are fighting." Lili said, letting go of Emily's hand and walking to where Natasha sat on the bed, climbing into the red heads lap.

"Well, if they're fighting I guess it's time to bring out the ear plugs." Clint said, only half joking as Natasha glared at him.

"They're not really fighting. Maria's crying and Steve looks like he's about to." Emily said, sighing as she added, "I take it she's telling him? I only know about what happened because Maria got sick of my texts and voicemails after it happened asking her what was wrong."

"She is. It sounds like it anyway." Natasha said, sighing.

* * *

Steve walked inside from the balcony a little while later, watching Maria make some coffee in the kitchen despite the fact that it was 9:30 PM.

"I still want to marry you." He said softly, causing Maria to tense up.

"But it was my fault and I kept it from you."

Steve sighed, "Maria, it was definitely not your fault. It was no ones fault but theirs. You obviously didn't know that you were pregnant. Most don't from what Bruce and Betty said. I still love you and I'm not going to hold this against you. I am hurt that you didn't tell me, and mad, but not at you." He said, closing the distance between them and hugging her tightly.

Maria tensed up but quickly relaxed.

_Leave it to Steve to calm me down. _She thought, sighing as she said, "I guess it wasn't my fault. I just feel bad."

"Don't feel bad." He said, kissing her head.

Maria sighed, "Then ask me again." She said, pulling away from him.

"What?"

"If you want to marry me so badly, then ask me again."

Steve smiled at her and pulled the black velvet box out of his pocket once more and got down on one knee again.

"Maria Hill, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Maria briefly looked away in thought before looking back at him.

"I don't know. I'll have to think about it." She said, smirking as his facial expression went from a smile to a frown.

"What?"

she rolled her eyes, "Of course I'll marry you. You're so gullible." She said, earning a small smile from him once more as he put the ring on her left ring finger as he stood up, kissing her passionately on the lips.

Maria kissed back and leaned against the counter, putting her arms around his neck as he began to unzip the back of her dress.

"Not here. The bedroom." She said, out of breath as Steve picked her up and brought her to their room, shutting the door behind them.

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**

**No flames.**


	5. Talks

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter and I hope y'all like it! Enjoy!**

Steve was the first one to awake the next morning to hear the TV on in the living room. Looking at the clock on the bedside table to see that it was 6:45 AM. Another half hour until everyone had to meet at breakfast.

Getting up, he walked out to the living room to see Lili and Emily watching the TV.

"Good morning!" Both of them said simultaneously, giving soft smiles at him.

"What're you two doing up so early?"

Emily shrugged, "Lilith woke up early and wanted to watch TV," She said, looking back up at him, "So, you and Maria are engaged now, huh?" She added, getting up and walking into the kitchen to pour some coffee.

"You heard all that?"

Emily nodded, "Yeah. Hey just thought of a great idea. Now that you guys are engaged how would you like to adopt a foster child?"

Steve gave her a look, "Lili has parents now, Emily."

_Haven't even been engaged for a day and already people are asking about kids._

"Not talking about Lili. I'm talking about my bitchy aunt Shawna's foster child."

"How is she..." Steve asked, trailing off.

"Well, her husband left her after her most recent foster child, Alexa, came to live with her. Now she hates Alexa. She treats her...not as bad as Dad and my mom treated Maria, but pretty damn close. She's two freaking years old! She's just...how can one hate a child so much?" She asked, taking out her phone and scrolling through her photos, showing Steve a picture of a little dark haired little girl with vibrant green eyes, "Shawna tries to keep Maria from seeing her. She hates Maria...well, she hates our dad, Danny, me, and Maria. But everyone on our dad's side hates Shawna. No one stands up for Alexa that much because they don't really have proof of any physical abuse."

Steve looked appalled at what Emily was telling him, "What about her real parents? Why are you asking me and not Maria?"

"Her real parents were...are...drug addicts. I'm asking you because if I go and ask Maria she's just going to say, "I don't have proof of abuse." or something along those lines. Shawna leaves bruises where she knows no one will see. Oh and want to know what happened about...oh four years ago? Maria was twenty-two and at this point she had been working for SHIELD for about two years, Natasha for about one. Two little kids got attached to her, Natasha, and Clint, so the three of them had to stay together, living in Maria's place, protecting the kids. They witnessed something that would have potentially made them targets. I was visiting that weekend. Our Aunt Shawna somehow found out about this and reported them, mainly Maria, to Child Protective Services. Saying things like, "You're not fit enough to watch these kids!" and "They aren't safe with you!" shit like that. Luckily, our Aunt was wrong and CPS found no evidence of anything."

Steve sighed, "I'll talk to Maria about it later." He said, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, and next time I see her...in December apparently for some stupid family Christmas reunion shit, i'm going to beat the shit out of her." Maria said as she came into the kitchen, putting her shoes on and began to leave the villa in a black tank top and white pajama shorts.

"Babe, shouldn't you get dressed?" Steve asked, raising an eye brow at Maria.

"Nope." She said, opening the door and walking out, everyone else following behind after quickly getting dressed.

* * *

Ten minutes later, everyone was at a diner just five minutes from the resort, talking. Lili and Emily talking the most out of everyone else.

"Hey, Maria! Don't you and Steve have anything you'd like to tell us?"

"Do you never shut up?" Maria asked, half teasing her younger sister who rolled her eyes.

"What do they need to tell us, Emily?" Pepper asked, being the first one to speak.

"Yeah, what? Not pregnant, are you Maria?" Tony asked.

"No, Stark. I'm not." Maria said coldly.

"Well, what is it then?" Danny asked, raising an eye brow at his sister.

"Wait...I think the most important question here is...is it good news or bad news?" John asked, speaking above everyone else.

Maria barely got one word out before she was interrupted again.

"Yes, what is this news?" Thor asked, sitting back in his seat.

"Well, we know it's good news...hopefully." Bruce cut in.

"What if it's bad news?" Betty asked, crossing her arms.

"Would you guys just shut up and let them speak!?" Natasha, Clint, and Jane shouted, earning for half the diner to stop what they were doing and stare at the group in dead silence.

Maria sighed and shared a look with Steve, both seeming to have a better idea.

Maria raised her left hand to show the group what it had been that the two had been trying to say, giving them an, _'that's what we needed to tell you' _look.

Everyone's jaws dropped in response to Maria's small hand gesture.

Emily was the first to speak.

"I think you guys broke them..."

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**

**No Flames.**


	6. Epilogue

**A/N: Hey guys! So, hopefully, this is the last chapter! Enjoy!**

Everyone was silent for what seemed like hours before they all spoke at once.

"You're getting married!?" They shouted, earning more stares from everyone in the diner.

"Well, congrats bud!" Tony said, getting up and patting Steve on the back before moving to hug Maria, only to stop when she glared at him.

"Well, I can't say we didn't see it coming." Jane said, taking a sip of her coffee and smiling at both of them.

"I already knew, so of course i'm okay with this." Natasha said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

"As did Danny and I. I feel old now," John started, turning to look at Maria before turning his gaze to Emily, "You're not aloud to get married until you're Danny's age."

Emily rolled her eyes, "Uh huh. Good luck keeping me from getting married for fifteen years." She said, watching as her dad and Danny hugged Maria and shook Steve's hand.

"Hey, Maria! You can rub it in our Aunt Shawna's face the next time we see them...and you guys can now adopt Alexa!" Danny said, earning a disapproving look from John.

"That's what I said!" Emily exclaimed, high fiving her older brother.

"We're seeing that side in December right? We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, but I might as well because that child would be safer with us than with them."

"Yes, Maria, we're seeing them in December. I'm surprised that they even want us to go this year. Try to be civil with Shawna," John started, leaning over to whisper in Maria's ear, "But feel free to put her in her place."

"I will, Dad." She said, ignoring the confused looks from everyone else at the table as her phone buzzed, indicating that she got a text message.

_You have the same number, right? If not, i'm going to feel completely stupid. Want to hang out with me and Amara today? Steve can join too._

_~Jake_

She quickly typed a reply;

_We're actually swimming with the dolphin's today. You and Amara can join though. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind._

_~Maria_

"Well, are we ready to go?" Tony asked, paying the bill and getting up, the others following him out the door.

* * *

As soon as the group arrived, they met Jake, who was actually in civilian clothes today, and Amara, and they went in the direction of the dolphin area where they met with the trainer.

"I take it you folks are interested in interacting with our dolphins?" He asked, shaking everyone's hand.

"Well, i'll stay with Jace this time." John said, carefully taking the infant from Pepper and heading over to the bench before anyone could ask questions.

"Okay then. Come with me and I will get all of you fitted into some wet suits. We have a special wet suit incase any of you can't swim."

Jake elbowed Maria, "Does that apply to you, Maria?"

"Jake, don't tease her." Amara reprimanded, glaring at him.

"No, it doesn't apply to me actually. I learned a few days ago." She said, glaring at Thor and Jane.

"She is still mad, lady Jane."

"Not mad. Just annoyed." Maria said, smiling sweetly at them as she undressed so that she was just in her black bikini and put the black, tight wetsuit on.

Natasha helped Lili into her's as the trainer started going over safety.

"Just a few safety rules though. Do not approach a Dolphin without a trainer present, and please be gentle with them. If they get scared, they can and will act in self defense. If anyone wants too, we will also have one on one time with the dolphin's in which time all of you can have some dorsal fin rides. Sound good? Great." He said, nodding his head and leading the group out into the dolphin lagoon where two other trainers stood.

"The water is so clear." Betty said, shocked to actually be able to see the bottom of the lagoon.

"Yeah. It's beautiful." Bruce said, holding her hand in his as their trainer, a young woman named Faith, lead their group consisting of them, Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint, and Lili.

Each trainer had a group of four, with the exception of the older trainer, Luke, who had his group consisting of Jake, Amara, Maria, Steve, Thor, and Jane.

"Congratulations by the way," Jake said, nodding to the engagement ring on Maria's hand, "that wasn't there when I saw you yesterday."

"We just got engaged last night, so I suppose you wouldn't have seen it." Steve said, trying to sound as polite as possible.

Jake leaned in and whispered in Maria's ear, "He doesn't like me, does he?"

"He's just over protective. A lot of crap has happened in the last year." She said, looking at Steve, who nodded in agreement.

"Aye. We do get over protective of our ladies." Thor said, putting an arm around Jane's shoulders.

"Yeah, Jake. You were the same way with my guy friends." Amara said, crossing her arms as the trainer called a Dolphin over.

"This is Sandy. She's very friendly to people...most people anyway. Dolphin's can actually detect people's moods, so they won't want to go near you if you're in a bad one." Luke said, waiting for someone in the group to approach.

In the end it was Maria, who reached her hand out and pet the animal on the head.

The Dolphin whistled in response and nuzzled Maria's hand with her nose.

"She likes you. Would you like a dorsal fin ride?"

"I probably shouldn't. I'm too..."

"Maria if you say you're too heavy, I will slap you." Jane said, glaring at her.

"She's right. Your hundred and twenty pounds is nothing compared to my two hundred and forty." Steve said, watching in amusement as his fiancee gently and cautiously grabbed hold of the dorsal fin.

* * *

"Wow look at Maria go." Natasha said as Lilith returned from her dorsal fin ride on a dolphin named Ruby.

"Again again!" She shouted, letting go of the dorsal fin as Clint picked her up.

"Your turn, Nat." Clint said, nodding to the dolphin that bobbed it's head up and down.

"It won't bite, will it?"

"You're kidding, right?" Tony asked, raising an eye brow at her.

"Well you never know, Tony." Pepper said, coming to Natasha's defense as the redhead grabbed hold of the fin as well, the trainer blowing her whistle and the dolphin took off.

* * *

The group continued to swim with the dolphin's until around dinner time when they had to get changed back into their clothes and leave the park.

"Maybe i'll come visit you in New York." Jake said, giving Maria a hug,

"Well, you would know where to find me. Just call first before you get there." She said, giving a soft smile.

Jake always had a habit of calling Maria when he was right outside her front door whenever the two of them happened to be on leave at the same time. He had always called her and said, "mind if I come over?" and whether she said yes or no, he'd say, "Too bad. I'm already here" which would get her into a lot of trouble with John and Diana, but it was usually once he left that she'd be in trouble. Jake never had a clue.

Jake nodded and shook everyone's hand once more before he and Amara got into their car and left.

Steve put his arms around Maria's waist.

"Having fun, darlin'?" He asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Yeah. At first I wasn't, but now I am. We should have these trips more often." She said, moving to kiss him on the lips only to be rudely interrupted.

"Hey! Wait until we actually eat dinner before you two start kissing!" Tony called from the van, honking the horn.

Maria and Steve both rolled their eyes and got into the van.

_This wasn't such a bad bonding experience after all..._

**A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)**

**About the mention of the little girl in the last chapter, I renamed her Alexa for those that may have been confused. You guys will actually meet her in one of my next stories, the Falling Back sequel, and I will write a two shot about the whole Christmas reunion with Maria's family. The sequel will mainly be Clintasha based, but Maria and Steve's wedding will be included in the sequel :)**


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